Dubuque “Bell” to be Dedicated

The City of Dubuque will hold a dedication ceremony for a new display featuring the ship’s bell from the U.S.S. Dubuque at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, July 20, in the City Council Chambers on the second floor of the Historic Federal Building at 350 W. Sixth Street. The public is invited to attend the event and view the display, located in the foyer outside the City Council Chambers.

The second ship to bear the name, the U.S.S. Dubuque (LPD 8) was a 570-foot long Austin class amphibious transport dock in the U.S. Navy. It was launched in 1966 and commissioned in 1967. After 44 years of service and numerous deployments including Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, and the Arabian Gulf, the U.S.S. Dubuque was decommissioned in 2011.

Members of the Dubuque Council of the Navy League of the United States approached the City of Dubuque to request the ship’s bell be loaned from the U.S. Navy and publicly displayed in Dubuque. A display showcasing the bell and other artifacts and information from the U.S.S. Dubuque gathered over the years was recently completed in the second floor foyer of the Historic Federal Building. The July 20 event will include a brief program on the ship and the display. The public is invited to attend.